Portable electric light



June 26, I 928.

F. LESER PORTABLE ELECTRIC LIGHT Fild Nov. 19, 1926 1 t M WW LISEB,

Pea-m d 26, 1928.

-UNITED STATES PATENT oFmc-E- I or nooxmm, new yonx, nssrcmon ro smear smut 13.1mm!

comm, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. I

- PORTABLE aurora 1c mon'r.

Application filed November 19. 1926. Serial 11 0. 149,888.

6 'to vary the width of the. angle of illumina- -tion by mounting the lens through which the light is projects upon a movable portion of the lamp and bringing about the desired effect b movi'n such lens toward or away '10 from t e' electric light bulb, according to the effect desired. 3 a

This has generally been accomplished by mountin the lens u -on a screw cap on the front end of the flas light, and turning the 15 cap one way or the other to vary the focus.

In addition to this, ever flashlight requires: means for making and reaking the circuit to light or extinguish the lamp proper.

In former devlces, every change of focus 20 has required the use of two hands. It is the principal advantage of the present invention.

that the adjustment of focus can be obtained by the useo'fthe thumb or finger of .one

hand alone, and preferably b the same 25 movement that turnsthe light and on.

' My invention is illustrated inthe accomf panyin drawings wherein Figure 1 is a view of my amp in longitudinal section, Flgure 2 is a similar view of the front end of the so same showing another position of the parts,

40 for concentrating the li Figure 3 is a similar view to Figure 2, showing still another positionof the parts, Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view of my device, taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2, and Figroadly stated, my invention com rises a movable incandescent lamp bulb an a stationary' lens or reflector or (preferably) both t rays more or less. The bulb moves in such a manner with resgeet to the light concentrating means that e rlnngle of hght projection may be varied at 7 48-" Preferably the construction is such that andclose .the same mechanical element is used to open bulb the lamp circuit and to. move the the the usual outer casingis line -5 of the carbon electrode of the battery Just above one side of the bulb mounting .22 when itis in the oil which holds the carbon terminals 14 in contact withthe metal pin 15 on the transverse metal strip 16.

This strip 16 .is carried by a core orbody 17 of insulating material which slips into the usual front metal shell 18. This shell is screwed onto the body 10, as shown and it carries the usual glass protector 19, which may or may not .be a lens and is mounted on a thin metal frame 20 which screws down onto the shell 18.

At the front end of the body 17, and under theglass 19, is mounted the usuai reflector I 21, having a central aperture, as shown in Figure 1. I

Thecenter of the body '17 is bored to re ceive and guide a hollow reciprocatin metal bulb-mounting 22, on 'one side of w ich is a rack 23, which engages with the teeth'of the pinion 24. This pinion extends partly outside of the shell 18, so that it can be revolved one way or the other by the thumb of a person holding the flashlight in his hand. This movement will, of course, cause the bulb-mounting 2 2 to move in or out on the longitudinal ax1s of the flashlight.

In order to give stability to the off or dark position ofthe pinion 24, it is provided with a shallow cavity in its side. In the .oif position, shown in Fi re 1, this cavity is engaged by the rounde end of a pin 26, pressed forward by a pin 27, as

shown in Figure 5. The pinion 24 is pref- 28 is kept constantly in electrical connection with the plate 16 by means of the spring 29 whichis-maintained in iroper position by the pin 15. This keeps e central 'bulb ter- 1 minal in constant electric connection with Figure 1, is' a pin 30 sli mounted in abl '0' shown at 10, and in the-specific formshdwn a cavity in the body j 17. cavity is this The zinc mg s made' ofinsulit-ing material. battery is shown at 11, "and the en of the lowermost cell makes contact with e'spring12 on the screwcap 13 closed by a screw 31. which is constantly in 'tion shown'inj contact with the metal shell 18. Between the'screw 31 and the pin'30 is-a spring 32 which normally p the pin 30'into the position shown in Fi re 1, while permitting said pin to move bac as'shown in Figure 3, when the bulb mounting is lifted.

The shell 18 is kept constantly in electric connection with the zinc electrode of the 1 battery through the spring 12, the screw cap 13 and a thin metal strip 33. Therefore, when the mounting 22 touches the pin 30,

circuit is instantly closed through the fila ment in the lamp bulb 28. p

To light the lamp, therefore,- it is only necessary to revolve the pinion 24 with the thumb to move the bulb-carrying body 22 from the .ofi position of Figure 1 to the first lighted position, shown in Figure 2.

' 'Here'contact1s made with the pin 30, and the lamp is lighted. r

This contact is preserved however far forward the body 22 may thereafter be moved forward by revolution of the pinion 24."

to the reflector 21 and the glass 19 may be Thus the lightedbulb may be 'moved into any desired position, from that shown in Figure 2 all'the way to'th'at shown in Figure 3. In this way therelation of the lamp varied at will, and thus vary the focuswithout'using two hands.

Variouschanges ma be-made-in the structure of 'my' device without departing from the scope of my invention, which is not limited to the details herein scribed.

'What I claim is 1. In a portable electric light, an exterior casing having a slot, a bulb-carrying element adapted to reciprocate within said casing and provided with a rack, a pinion engag- .ing bo y having a bore re istering with the iulbrcarrying e1ement s idably fitting in said bore, a bulb on openin in said reflector, a

said element projecting through the openshown and deing in the reflector, a spring pressed electric f contact piece arranged to be capable of mo tion through the side of 'said' bore, and means for moving the bulb-carryingelement past said cont-actpiece' while in contact therewith.

In testimony whereof I have hereto afiixed my signature on this 1st day ofNovember, 1-926.

FREDERICK'LESER; 

